❓ How do I know if a URL is safe?

Here are a few ways to verify whether a website’s URL name is safe or not: That extra ‘s’ in ‘http’ : Always look for URL addresses that feature https, not just http. This extra ‘s’ denotes that the site is encrypted. URL verification : Use a reputed link safety checker to check URLs for malware. Padlock Icon : Search for the padlock icon in the address bar or URL. If the icon is present, it denotes “site is secured”.

9 Best URL Scanners to Check Link is Safe from Malware

URL Scanning tools are important software solutions used for analyzing URLs to test the presence of any potential online threats. Bad URL malware scanner usually produces inaccurate results, leading to false negatives. There can be compatibility issues, slow response time, and may pose some privacy threats to your system.

After reviewing numerous URL scanning tools for countless hours, we have tried to pick the best website safety checker options. Our review of these various vulnerability scanner tools focuses primarily on the nuances, potential, and capabilities, ensuring they deliver a well-rounded performance. Please go through our in-depth review to understand the vital features, pros, and cons of the best link checker tools available. Read more…

#Editor's Choice

TotalAV

TotalAV URL Scanner is a cybersecurity tool designed to analyze website links (URLs) for potential threats. It helps users identify malicious or unsafe websites that could pose risks such as phishing, malware distribution, or fraudulent activities.

Visit TotalAV

Best URL Scanner Tools to Check Website Safety from Malware & Viruses

Tool Name	Malware Check	Key Features	Free Trial	Link
Domain Reputation API	Yes	• Website Firewall • SSL vulnerabilities • TLSA record	50 free API requests (credit card not required)	Learn More
cWatch	Yes	• Premium DNS • WAF protection • Global CDN	30 days (credit card not required)	Learn More
Norton Safe Web	Yes	• Protection for online banking • IPS Scanning • Website rankings	Free	Learn More
Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal	Yes	• Domain investigation • Hash scrutiny • Retrieving full file path	2000 free API requests per day (no credit card required)	Learn More
Transparency Report	Yes	• Documents real time disruptions • Data Accuracy • Transparency report	Free	Learn More

1) Domain Reputation API

Domain Reputation API is an online tool that verifies the SSL certificate of a domain to detect its status. The tool will use the best way to alert if the SSL certificate has expired or is invalid.

Many regard it as the best link checker available. This tool examines different parameters of an IP address like mail exchanger, SSL configuration, Audit domains, WHOIS records, etc.

Features:

WHOIS Domain Check: The tool checks numerous WHOIS records to verify the contact details of a domain. The tool also extracts information about the domain’s registrant country.
Analyses MX records: This link safety checker analyses MX records while focusing on parameters like SPF, DMARC, and domain-based message authentication.
Malware Check: Deep scanning of different malware engines to confirm whether the IP addresses are infected. If it locates malicious links, the tool will notify the user immediately.
SSL Vulnerability Check: Domain Reputation API analyses the SSL configuration of the domain deeply. This tool allows you to check all the necessary parameters, like TLSA, OCSP, etc., to ensure they meet the standards. If some of these parameters do not meet the standards, it signals a warning.
Quick Risk Assessment: Domain Reputation API seamlessly integrates into the system to check vulnerabilities while ensuring whether there is any interaction with some malicious code or suspicious websites.

Pros

The Bulk Infrastructure check URL for malware process handles 15 requests per second.
Easy to judge domains and make decisions on what to block.
Continuous monitoring of the web resources.

Cons

There may be some privacy issues due to the scanning of IP data.

Pricing:

Here are some of the pricing options:

Number of free queries	Price per month
100	$15
500	$69
1000	$99

Free Trial: Yes, Free version available with 50 queries limitation.

Link: https://domain-reputation.whoisxmlapi.com/api

2) cWatch

Comodo cWatch is a web URL scanner. It works on the SaaS (Security-as-a-service model). This tool provides strong DDoS protection and safeguards against cross-site scripting, and malware.

Keep in mind, cWatch also works towards improving the overall website performance. This approach ultimately speeds up complex web apps.

cWatch

Features:

Detect and Remove Malware: This malicious link checker uses the latest scanning technology to detect and eliminate malware infections or other threats from the website. It also protects the websites from hacker attacks.
Uninterrupted Browsing Experience: Use cWatch and experience a lag-free browsing experience. Contents are distributed over multiple servers globally without affecting the site’s load speed.
Best-in-class DNS: Premium DNS services are offered to websites. These services come with premium features to enhance performance and web security.
WAF Support: Comodo cWatch provides real-time web application firewall support against XSS, SQL injections, DDoS, and other threats.
CSOC Analysts: Certified CSOC Analysts are available 24/7. They check and assess websites, data centers, networks, desktops, etc., and safeguard them.

Pros

Compliance reports like GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
Complete protection against phishing.
Bot traffic detection.

Cons

Some features are not accessible in the free trial version.

Pricing:

Here are some of the pricing options:

Plan Name	Price per month
Pro	$7.92
Premium	$19.92

Free Trial: Yes, trial version available, 30 day money back guarantee.

Link: https://cwatch.comodo.com/free-url-scanner.php

3) Norton Safe Web

Norton’s Safe Web service helps users check a website’s quality before accessing it. Using Norton Safe Web, you can identify the potential threats for your website and eliminate them.

The Safe Web is designed to protect users against any phishing attempts, accessing unsafe websites, and falling prey to malicious scripts.

Features:

Website Safety Rating: Safe Web scans a website for infected files and malicious code before providing a safety rating to the site.
Integrate with your browser: Norton browser extension safeguards the website owner against potential threats while browsing the web.
Manage Cyberthreats: The Safe Web feature manages different types of cyber threats. It commonly locates the threats and protects against different spyware and malicious bots.
Detect Suspicious Behaviour: Certain websites display suspicious behavioral traits. Norton link checker detects those suspicious URLs and their behavioral patterns.

Pros

Blocks phishing websites.
Regular updates against new threats.
Real-time safety ratings.

Cons

You need to avail the paid subscription plan to get full access to all features.

Pricing: This is a free tool.

Link: https://safeweb.norton.com/

4) Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal

Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal is a tool that you can use to scan URLs for viruses. This web-based security tool notifies about the cyber threats.

Using advanced protection, Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal diminishes the threats to safeguard the networks and systems.

Features:

Data feeds: The Kaspersky Intelligence Services allows you to access the necessary data to track and eliminate cyber threats.
Intelligence reports: Any reports related to advanced persistent and financial threats are available. You may also download them in different available formats.
Detailed threat-info coverage: Information on threats is generated with the highest accuracy. Every data related to the threats and associated relationships is provided to the user. This is great for users to take necessary actions before things become critical.
Expert reviews: Analysts and reviewers from top R&D and GReT teams provide valuable inputs through real-time reviews on potential and emerging threats.
SaaS integration: KTIP is a SaaS platform. Hence, you will not require additional services to be integrated into your business infrastructure.

Pros

Easy-to-adapt defensive strategies.
Minimizing incident response through signal prioritizing.
Deep search on IP addresses.

Cons

Cosmetic errors are not fixed.

Pricing:

Price: There is a free version available with basic features. For more advanced plans contact sales for quote.

Link: https://opentip.kaspersky.com/

5) Google Transparency Report

Google Transparency Report is a free tool to scan website for malware and provide information. The detailed report highlight issues related to website accessibility, online security risks, etc.

Google also emphasise on government requests for user data and information. Safe browsing technology ensures that users are transparent about the condition of a website.

Features:

Safe Browsing Reports: With Safe Browsing Reports, you can learn whether the website is safe to access. The tool generates detailed reports highlighting every aspect of the website and pinpointing any threats if found.
Requests for Content Removal: Frequently, Google receives government requests regarding removing content from webpages or even banning a site. Google produces a detailed report that features the type of content removed, etc.
Google Workspace Reports: These reports have the advantages of highlighting the key metrics and trends an organization follows. Alternatively, it includes Google Drive’s document visibility, basic security metrics, storage space availability, etc. Any requests related to Google Workspace are summed inside these reports.
Delisting Content Report: Certain content available on the websites may have copyright issues. Some of the content could be suspected of phishing. This report aim to details such sites, reasons behind requests for delisting external links detected, and other associated facts.
YouTube CG Reports: Community Guidelines reports feature information about videos being removed, comments, and strikes associated with policy violations.

Pros

The reports feature crucial insights into online activities.
Promotes awareness of online threats.
Reports benefit policymakers and researchers in the context of web security.

Cons

It may feature a limited amount of past data.

Pricing: This is a free tool.

Link: https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search

6) PhishTank

PhishTank is great for verifying the quality of a website. It is a free community where anyone can share, submit, or track data. In fact, this portal provides detailed information about internet phishing.

There is also an open application processing interface that researchers and developers can use to include anti-phishing data for free.

Features:

User-Generated Content: PhishTank identifies and reports phishing URLs. The user community network contributes primarily towards identifying the threats and phishing URLs.
Integrate data: API access allows security professionals and developers to access data from Phishtank. This data is then integrated into their systems and tools.
Rating URLs: A site is thoroughly assessed by the user communities. Only after observing the assessment reports provided by the user communities did PhishTank rate these websites.
Send suspects via Email: URLs can be submitted to PhishTank via email. Never shy away from posting more information about the suspects. Email reporting is a better way to report suspected phishing activity due to more data availability.
Website Legitimacy: If a user suspects the legitimacy of a website/URL, simply submit it to this phishing link checker for verification. The tool will take a few seconds to generate the result.

Pros

Keeps database with information about latest threats.
Collaborate with the user community to combat phishing.
Early warning helps users take necessary safety measures.

Cons

Doesn’t guarantee total protection against all kinds of phishing attacks.

Pricing: This tool is completely free to use.

Link: https://www.phishtank.com/

7) Sucuri SiteCheck

Sucuri SiteCheck is a safe link checker. This free tool scans any website to identify any threats or security issues. It tracks outdated CMS, defacements, blacklisting, malware infection, and other online threats.

This tool is safe to use and visit websites for everyday users to check threats to alert users on taking the necessary preventive measures.

Features:

Malware detection: SiteCheck deep scans websites for malware and viruses. Alternatively, it searches for infected file locations and external source codes.
Verify Blacklist status: There is also the option to check the blacklist status of a website. Use this option to see whether or not reputed Website Security Authorities like Kaspersky, PhishTank, and Google have blocked the particular site.
Detect vulnerable plugins: The tool checks whether a website uses any vulnerable extensions or plugins. It also checks if the CMS needs to be updated.
Check website security: Consider using this tool to show website owners how to detect security anomalies, security recommendations, and configuration issues.
Vulnerability handling: Sucuri SiteCheck identifies security vulnerabilities in different CMSs like Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress website. It also provides options to patch these vulnerabilities to safeguard the websites.

Pros

Accesses sites remotely.
Prevents a site from slowing down.
Helps maintain organic traffic.

Cons

It cannot detect anything on the server.

Pricing:

Here are some of the pricing options:

Plan Name	Price per year
Basic	$199.99
Pro	$299.99
Business	$499.99

Free Trial: There is a free version available.

Link: https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/

8) URL Void

Use URL Void to learn about a website’s safety information. This online URL scanner has several features to verify a website’s reputation and ensure its trustworthiness.

Users can now analyze URLs through different online reputation tools and blacklist engines to detect malicious files and fraudulent sites.

Features:

Website analysis: URL Void allows you to check a website using numerous online website reputation services and block-list engines. This feature helps users locate whether a website is involved in phishing or malware activities.
Fast Threat Analysis: This URL scanner takes minimal time to analyze a website. It goes through the website content quickly to check for harmful content and reviews by trusted sources.
Report Generation: The tool generates a detailed safety report featuring IP address details, server location, date of domain creation, etc.
Doubtful Behaviour Inspection: You can inspect a website using this URL scanning tool to detect malicious URLs or suspicious files and behavioral patterns.
Screen Captures Webpages: There is an option to take top-quality screenshots of webpages using the Screenshot API. It takes only a few seconds to take the screenshot. You can even download the screenshot into your system.

Pros

Speeds up the Cyber Threat Analysis Process.
Access domain details through WHOIS lookup free.
Free online DNS lookup tool to get DNS A/TXT/NS/MX Records.

Cons

Fifteen minutes intervals before rescanning a website.
It cannot be integrated into commercial services.

Pricing:
This is a free tool.

Link: https://www.urlvoid.com/

9) VirusTotal

VirusTotal scan URLs for viruses. It scrutinizes 70+ domain blocklisters and antivirus scanners to understand the quality of a website, app, or files.

You pick a file from your PC and send it via your web browser to VirusTotal. With deep vulnerability scanning activated, your file will be examined thoroughly to detect the presence of any malware attack.

Features:

Detailed inspection: VirusTotal inspects every aspect of a website and provides additional info on botnets, brands targeted, etc.
Automated Analysis: With the built-in API, you can easily analyse the condition of a website. This API can scan website for malware automatically. It can access scan reports and does not need any HTML web interface for comments.
Real-time website scanning: VirusTotal offers real-time website scanning through API queries. The tool generally looks into vendor databases to learn about any threat reports on the site available in the database.
Detecting malicious content: Use this tool to detect malicious content within a website. It can also identify false positives detected as harmful by some other free malware scanning tools.
Aggregated data: The tool analyzes a website using aggregated data from URL analysis tools, website malware scanners, and antivirus engines.

Pros

Frequent updates of Malware signatures.
Accurately displays the detection label of each engine.
This tool is available for free.

Cons

Files over 500 MB in size may have performance issues.

Pricing:

Price: For commercial purposes, the price starts at $10,000 annually.
Free Trial: VirusTotal is available free of cost for non-commercial users.

Link: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/url

How do I scan a URL for malware?

You can use a URL analyzer to scan URL for viruses. One of the best free tools is Virus Total. This tool can detect malware or other threats on a website.

Here is a step-by-step way to check URLs for viruses and malware using this tool:

Visit the website of Virus Total.
The home page features a Search Bar.
Enter any URL you want to scan and click search.
Focus on the scan results to check whether scanners have flagged the URL as malicious.

FAQs

Here are a few ways to verify whether a website’s URL name is safe or not:

That extra ‘s’ in ‘http’: Always look for URL addresses that feature https, not just http. This extra ‘s’ denotes that the site is encrypted.
URL verification: Use a reputed link safety checker to check URLs for malware.
Padlock Icon: Search for the padlock icon in the address bar or URL. If the icon is present, it denotes “site is secured”.

A suspicious URL may feature an IP address instead of a domain name, typos, excessive use of characters in the URL, rare domain extensions, and too lengthy URLs.

Verdict:

Our review of the best URL scanner tools makes picking a suitable URL scan tool easy. Still, if you are not sure which tool to pick, here are our 3 top picks:

Domain Reputation API: This tool enhances web security by analysing the IP addresses in connection to the WHOIS records. It offers a quick and relevant solution to identify the infrastructure of domains using API calls.
cWatch: cWatch is one of the best link checker tools available that prevents malicious attacks from causing any damage to the website. It obtains info from different malware scanning procedures and takes immediate action to normalize the process while eliminating SQL injections and other threats.
Norton Safe Web: With Norton Safe Web, your browsing experience is safeguarded. This is one of the best free malware scanning tools that examines any threats within a website before opening it in the browser.

Best URL Scanner Tools to Check Website Safety from Malware & Viruses

Tool Name	Malware Check	Key Features	Free Trial	Link
Domain Reputation API	Yes	• Website Firewall • SSL vulnerabilities • TLSA record	50 free API requests (credit card not required)	Learn More
cWatch	Yes	• Premium DNS • WAF protection • Global CDN	30 days (credit card not required)	Learn More
Norton Safe Web	Yes	• Protection for online banking • IPS Scanning • Website rankings	Free	Learn More
Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal	Yes	• Domain investigation • Hash scrutiny • Retrieving full file path	2000 free API requests per day (no credit card required)	Learn More
Transparency Report	Yes	• Documents real time disruptions • Data Accuracy • Transparency report	Free	Learn More

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